Situated on 30.47-32.02 degrees north latitude and 119.55-121.20 degrees east longitude and bordering on shanghai in the east, Zhejiang Province in the south, Lake Taihu in the west and the Yangtze in the north, Suzhou enjoys a mild and humid climate and is easily accessible by water, land and air communications.

Talking about Suzhou, people would mention the old saying: "Paradise in Heaven, Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth." Since there can be places elsewhere compared to paradise, the saying does not specify the style of Suzhou lies in "Softness", like the tone of Wu dialect, which also sums up the character in feminine beauty, tenderness, serenity, subtlety and elegance.

A metropolis of industry and commerce in the south-eastern coast of China since ancient times, Suzhou has always been a hub for merchants, which as the Tang poet Bai Juyi described over a thousand years ago : "...has a population greater than Yangzhou Prefecture and more than half of the shops in Chang'an, the capital." The Italian traveler Marco Polo praised Suzhou 600 years ago as a "noble and great city". The classic novel " Dream of the Red Mansions "written 200 years ago sets the beginning of the story in Changmen, a prosperous area outside the city  gate of Suzhou, depicted as a "prime social congregation of the rich and cultured."

Today's Suzhou, recognized in the olden times as the "most aspiring city of prosperity and civilization in the Southeast" , is an open city with developed economy and frequent exchanges with the outside world. It has been officially declared part of "the coastal economic open zone of the Yangtze Delta". Comprehensive industrial system has taken shape, and there has been tremendous expansion in foreign trade and international economic co-operation.    

Located in Fengqiao town outside the Suzhou city, the Hanshan Temple was constructed in the Jiannian Reign of the Liang Dynasty (502-519) with a history of over 1400 years. The legend says in the Zhenguan Reign of the Tang Dynasty, the famous monks Hanshan and Shide came here from the Tiantai Mountain to conduct prayer services, hence the name of the Temple.

Shrouded in the lush forests, and built with glazed tiles and yellow walls Hanshan Temple was crisscross with winding paths and overgrown with verdant pines and cypresses. Its main buildings include Daxiongbaodian (The Precious Hall of Sakyamuni), the wing halls, the hall of scriptures, verandas with tablets, the bell tower, the tower of Fengjian etc. Enshrined in the right wing hall are two obese figures, the statues of Hanshan and Shide, disheveled and stripped to the waist, seated on an enormous lotus flower-shaped basin, one holding a vase and the other, lotus flowers. They are all smiles as if trying to tease the visitors.

The stone pedestal for Buddha in the grand hall is sculptured on its sides with 36 poems by Hanshan and the images of Shide and Banwu in bold outline. Displayed in the two wing halls are 500 camphor wood-carved statues of archest. Vivid and in simple style, they were carved with excellent workmanship.                               

Tiger Hill is situated in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. It is surrounded by water with pine and plum trees growing luxuriantly, which has the reputation of ¨The first scenic spot in Wu〃 (an area comprising southern Jiangsu Province and northern Zhejiang Province) by its imposing beauty and is the famous excursion center in China.

Although Tiger Hill does not have a large area, yet when one reaches Thousand People Rock and Sword Pond, one feels its power and grandeur, as if he himself were in the midst of precipice and deep valley. There are Leisure Spring, Testing Sword Rock, Third Spring, Broken-Pillar-Hall and Mountain Villa Wrapped in Emerald Green etc. scenic spots and historical sites.

Tiger Hill Tower: In the beginning it was built of wood, the structure of which was complicated, colorful and magnificent with unique style. The height of the Tower is 47.5m, built by laying eight cornered bricks in seven stories, a thousand year old tower renowned for its beauty inside and outside China. Due to the cause of foundation, it started leaning towards north-west direction. The lofty slant tower adds more grandeur for Hu Chiu. The leaning extent is almost similar to that of the leaning Pisa Tower of Italy.

Being a clear spring, the Tiger Hill Sword Pond takes the form of rectangle at the foot of the Tiger Hill. It is alleged that the tomb of the King, Helu of Wu is under the Sword Pond, inside which three thousand odd swords including "Bianzhu" and "Yuchang" precious swords were buried.                                                      

There are many ancient towns remained in Suzhou, such as Zhouzhuang, Guangfu, Mudu, Luzhi, best represented by Tongli. It is situated on the bank of Taihu Lake. The town-ship is divided into 17 small islands, among which stone bridges of different styles. It is described as a natural photo video because of its small bridges, rooks and well preserved architectural complex of Ming and Qing Dynasty. Tourists will be far away from urban noise, to clean the soul and enjoy a peaceful and natural life. Tongli is resorting and building the canal shaped like "T", the happy Tilling hall, Luoxingzhou island, the former residences of Che Qubing, Pearl pagoda, etc. 

Zhouzhuang has many cultural relics ,including the houses  if Shen and Zhang .the Milou Tower, Ye Chucang's Former Residence, Chengxu Taoist Temple and Quanfu Temple. Many ancient and modern scholars have lived in or visited the town, such as artist Chen Yifei. Chen's painting, "The Double Bridge", is as famous as the real double bridge in the town. A Well -known Chinese artist Wu Guanzhong once praised the town as a collection of beauty of China's water township. Luo Zhewen, a notable architect, described Zhouzhuang as "a treasure of China". Milou Tower, once called De's Wineshop, is located at Zhenfeng Bridge. In the 1920s,the founders of the south society, including Liu Yazi, Chen Qubing ,Wang Dajue and Fei Gongzhi ,went there four times to drink and compose poems. They published Collected Works on Milou Tower of more than 100 poems. Now, it has been rebuilt but retains its old style.                               

Tongli Town is located by the Grand Canal and the Taihu Lake with 18 Kilometer away from Suzhou. 6 Kilometer from Wujiang and 80 kilometer from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport. As an ancient town with more than 1000 years history and very convenient transportation, Tongli features typically the water county of South China. There are 5 lakes surround Tongli from outside, and inside, the town is divided into 15 small islands by more than 10 rivers. However, the islands are connected by more than 40 various style stone bridges which built in different dynasties.

Tongli is famous for her small bridges, running water, households and the fame as the "Venice" of the East in the world, and was given the reputation of natural outdoor film studio by ovie an TV circles. In 1981 and 1982 Tongli was ratified as one of the thirteen national standard tour towns of Taihu Lake region and the sole provincial standard cultural relic protection town of Jiangsu Province successively, and was ratified as the first batch of famous historical and cultural town of Jiangsu Province in 1995. Now, there are many imposing dwellings and spacious courtyards and building of the Ming and Qing Dynasties and 35 cultural relic protection spots in Tongli.

With its long history, cultural background and abundant products, there are a lot of famous persons an Number One Scholar who come from Tongli, and the Min cake, smoke fish, meat dumpling, chestnut kernel, steamed meat bread and so on are well-known food of Tongli which have enjoyed high reputation. Directed by the overall plan of "protecting ancient town, developing tourist resource and economy", one garden, two halls, three bridges and Tongli Lake holiday have been formed and the T-shaped river course, Ming and Qing dynasties' streets, the pearl Tower, some temples and former residences are under renewal. We are sure that the ancient town-Tongli will attract you, will show you its remarkable achievement.

This is a typical Chinese-style garden.  The building is near to water, it is defined as the typical buildings. It occupies 7, 500 square meters.  The garden is a yarn flower garden. The house was built on 11-13 Qing Dynasty by Lansheng Ren, when he left the position for hometown. So, the "Tusi Garden" means leaving and thinking, the garden features simple. Though the garden is small, it features the Hall, layer, loundge, pool, Artifical Mountain, etc, all the characters of Jiangnan Garden Walling under the moon. There's scent of lotus; drinking in the "Guihua Hall", there is scent of "guihua". There is bamboo, "Meihua". When you reading in "Suihan Hall". "Mingyun Ting" is located on the top of the Mountain people learns to paint beside "Lansheng Pavilion". All the building is near to the water, and in 1981, it is listed as the Taihu key scenes in 1982, it is passed as the province -level Antigue in Jiangsu province.

Suzhou is China's well-known "city of gardens",  which tops all others in both the number and the artistry of gardens. Dating from Pi Jiang Garden of the Eastern Jing Dynasty, Suzhou's art of gardening has undergone a history of 1500 years. There were once over 200 gardens in the city, and 69 of them are still in good reservation today. The concept of Suzhou classical gardens has gone beyond the city limits, since it generally refers to all those private gardens built in the regions south of the Yangtze.

The Suzhou garden originated from the desire to retire from the strife of officialdom the desire to retire from the strife of officialdom and to shun from worldly affairs. It seeks the return to Nature and the cultivation of temperament. In Taoist philosophy and the refinement of culture underlies the theme of the garden. Hills and waters, flowers and trees, pavilions, terraces, towers and halls constitute the basic garden elements, while the prominent tone is expressed in the dark color of roof tiles, the gray of bricks, and chestnut brown of wooden pillars.

Suzhou garden is the Nature in nutshell, which enables one to "feel the charm of mountains, forest and springs without going out of the noisy surroundings of the town". Its human interest also lies in that the architect, philosopher, poet, painter, and common fold can all find in it the idea, the flavor, the lines and the rhythm. The unfolding of the garden vistas is the copy of a landscape scroll. When enjoying tea, poem, flower arrangement or playing musical instrument in the garden, one gains the most natural inspiration. To those tourists desiring to understand China, Suzhou garden is the best museum.       

Embroidery, with a long history , and embroideries from Suzhou , Hunan, Guangdong and Sichuan are the most famous, originated in the State of Wu during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B. C.), whose capital was Suzhou. The embroidery is flat, neat, delicate, dense, even , smooth and shiny with beautiful designs, graceful colors, and a lovely unique style. In the past, almost every woman in Suzhou knew how to do embroidery, and nobody would marry a girl who did not know how to embroidery.